Analyze the Development of French Absolutism. Specifically discuss the role of Louis XIV and with specific examples, how he was an Absolute Monarch?
Absolutism evolved in Europe in the seventeenth century. In a foreshadowing of totalitiarianism, it gave the ruler total sovereignty over the state. Thomas Hobbes's book Leviathan, which defined absolutism, maintains that sovereignty is ultimately derived from the people who transfer it to the monarchy by implicit contract. The monarchs became legislators and made the laws; they built significant armies, taxed the poor, and utilized spies and informers to maintain their authority. Not only did they regulate the political and social aspects of the country but they also had total control over religion. Two very different forms of absolutist government evolved between the 16th and 18th centuries, one was western absolutism and the other was eastern absolutism. Absolutism was embodied in Western Europe specifically in France under the reign of Louis XIV. Absolutism was embodied in Eastern Europe in the governments of Russia, Prussia, and Austria. Western Absolutism took place in France and was characterized by the development of a strong monarchy, a large royal bureaucracy, limited powerful nobility, a growing middle class, and free peasants. The foundations of absolutism were laid out by Henry IV (1589-1610) and his chief advisor Sully. During Henry's reign as king, the population of France was decreasing. There had been civil wars and bad harvests that led to decreasing numbers. Henry IV, also known as "Henri le grand", cared about his people and decided there needed to be a change. He issued the Edict of Nantes in 1598, gaining Protestant support. He got rid of taxing the nobles and introduced the paulette tax in 1602-1604, which was a hereditary tax where the nobles would pay annual fees to make sure their title was secure. During the last ten years of Henry's reign, he and Sully, who was looked upon as an effective administrator, restored the public order to France. In 1610 Louis XIII came to the throne, and his mother Marie de Medici ruled as a regent for the child-king, and appointed Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642). Richelieu was the real architect of absolutism. He came up with his own "raison d'etat". He subordinated all institutions and groups under the French monarchy. He restricted the power of the nobility, and in 1624 reshuffled the royal council. Richelieu was most famous for his administrative system. He created intendants which performed specific financial, political, or judicial tasks. This weakened the regional nobility, and increased the power of the centralized French state. Richelieu also limited the freedom of Protestants. He ended the Protestant military because he felt it made "a state within a state". At the fall of La Rochelle in 1628, King Louis XIII reinstated the Catholic liturgy, which weakened the Protestants, causing France to come one step closer to a unified state. In 1643 Louis XIV came to the throne as a five-year old boy. His tutor was Bishop Bousset, who developed the theory of the divine right of kings. Bousset taught Louis that, as king, he was only answerable to God. Louis's mother, Anne of Austria ruled as regent and empowered her trusted advisor, the Italian Cardinal Jules Mazarin. Mazarin was Richelieu's hand-picked successor. Mazarin continued to carry out the policies of Richelieu, but quickly started to alienate the nobility. He increased royal revenues, but this led to the French civil wars known as the Fronde (1648-1653). Eventually the revolt was suppressed but it left an enduring legacy with the young Louis, who was determined to keep the nobles under tight control. During the reign of the "Sun King" absolutism reached its peak. This time perid was known as the "Age of Magnificence". Louis felt that he ruled my divine right. He had to obey the rules of God and make sure everything he did was done for the good of the people. He ordered the nobility to stay with him at Versailles, where he used secret police to spy on them. Louis spent much of his money on maintaining Versailles, causing many burdening the peasants with higher taxes. War also put a financial burden on France. He increased the size of the army tenfold, from 25,000 soldiers to 250,000 soliders. He was trying to continue the expansionist policy that was started by Richelieu. By the time of the 1680s and the 1690s there was no more territory that France could claim. Louis was at war 33 of the 54 years he reigned, spending a lot to gain very little. Financial management was the weakest part of Louis. He appointed Jean-Baptiste Colbert to his administration. Colbert introduced the system of Mercantillism to France, where the governement regulated the economic activites making the country export more than it imports. This led to self sufficiency of France.
Louis also attempted to gain religious control over France. In 1685 he passed the edit of Fontainbleu, which revoked the Edict of Nantes, hoping to reach his idea of "un roi, un loi, un foi." While he receive a great deal of praise from the Catholics, it had a negative effect on the economic development of France. As a result of the revocation, Louis forced pushed out the economically prosperous Huguenots, who were a source of taxation and were beneficial to the economic development of france. Louis also left France in bad economic shape after and during his reign as heavy taxes were imposed on the peasants who as a result emigrated. In addition, Louis continued to sell titles to nobles, who were exempt from taxation. The loss of a portion of the taxable base combined with heavy expenditures for war in the later years of Louis's reign made many of Colbert's economic goals unattainable. By 1701 France was nearly bankrupt, and The Peace of Utrecht in 1713 marked the end of French expansionist policy.
Analyze the Development of French Absolutism. Specifically discuss the role of Louis XIV and with specific examples, how he was an Absolute Monarch?
Absolutism evolved in Europe in the seventeenth century. In a foreshadowing of totalitiarianism, it gave the ruler total sovereignty over the state. Thomas Hobbes's book Leviathan, which defined absolutism, maintains that sovereignty is ultimately derived from the people who transfer it to the monarchy by implicit contract. The monarchs became legislators and made the laws; they built significant armies, taxed the poor, and utilized spies and informers to maintain their authority. Not only did they regulate the political and social aspects of the country but they also had total control over religion. Two very different forms of absolutist government evolved between the 16th and 18th centuries, one was western absolutism and the other was eastern absolutism. Absolutism was embodied in Western Europe specifically in France under the reign of Louis XIV. Absolutism was embodied in Eastern Europe in the governments of Russia, Prussia, and Austria. Western Absolutism took place in France and was characterized by the development of a strong monarchy, a large royal bureaucracy, limited powerful nobility, a growing middle class, and free peasants. The foundations of absolutism were laid out by Henry IV (1589-1610) and his chief advisor Sully. During Henry's reign as king, the population of France was decreasing. There had been civil wars and bad harvests that led to decreasing numbers. Henry IV, also known as "Henri le grand", cared about his people and decided there needed to be a change. He issued the Edict of Nantes in 1598, gaining Protestant support. He got rid of taxing the nobles and introduced the paulette tax in 1602-1604, which was a hereditary tax where the nobles would pay annual fees to make sure their title was secure. During the last ten years of Henry's reign, he and Sully, who was looked upon as an effective administrator, restored the public order to France. In 1610 Louis XIII came to the throne, and his mother Marie de Medici ruled as a regent for the child-king, and appointed Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642). Richelieu was the real architect of absolutism. He came up with his own "raison d'etat". He subordinated all institutions and groups under the French monarchy. He restricted the power of the nobility, and in 1624 reshuffled the royal council. Richelieu was most famous for his administrative system. He created intendants which performed specific financial, political, or judicial tasks. This weakened the regional nobility, and increased the power of the centralized French state. Richelieu also limited the freedom of Protestants. He ended the Protestant military because he felt it made "a state within a state". At the fall of La Rochelle in 1628, King Louis XIII reinstated the Catholic liturgy, which weakened the Protestants, causing France to come one step closer to a unified state. In 1643 Louis XIV came to the throne as a five-year old boy. His tutor was Bishop Bousset, who developed the theory of the divine right of kings. Bousset taught Louis that, as king, he was only answerable to God. Louis's mother, Anne of Austria ruled as regent and empowered her trusted advisor, the Italian Cardinal Jules Mazarin. Mazarin was Richelieu's hand-picked successor. Mazarin continued to carry out the policies of Richelieu, but quickly started to alienate the nobility. He increased royal revenues, but this led to the French civil wars known as the Fronde (1648-1653). Eventually the revolt was suppressed but it left an enduring legacy with the young Louis, who was determined to keep the nobles under tight control. During the reign of the "Sun King" absolutism reached its peak. This time perid was known as the "Age of Magnificence". Louis felt that he ruled my divine right. He had to obey the rules of God and make sure everything he did was done for the good of the people. He ordered the nobility to stay with him at Versailles, where he used secret police to spy on them. Louis spent much of his money on maintaining Versailles, causing many burdening the peasants with higher taxes. War also put a financial burden on France. He increased the size of the army tenfold, from 25,000 soldiers to 250,000 soliders. He was trying to continue the expansionist policy that was started by Richelieu. By the time of the 1680s and the 1690s there was no more territory that France could claim. Louis was at war 33 of the 54 years he reigned, spending a lot to gain very little. Financial management was the weakest part of Louis. He appointed Jean-Baptiste Colbert to his administration. Colbert introduced the system of Mercantillism to France, where the governement regulated the economic activites making the country export more than it imports. This led to self sufficiency of France.
Louis also attempted to gain religious control over France. In 1685 he passed the edit of Fontainbleu, which revoked the Edict of Nantes, hoping to reach his idea of "un roi, un loi, un foi." While he receive a great deal of praise from the Catholics, it had a negative effect on the economic development of France. As a result of the revocation, Louis forced pushed out the economically prosperous Huguenots, who were a source of taxation and were beneficial to the economic development of france. Louis also left France in bad economic shape after and during his reign as heavy taxes were imposed on the peasants who as a result emigrated. In addition, Louis continued to sell titles to nobles, who were exempt from taxation. The loss of a portion of the taxable base combined with heavy expenditures for war in the later years of Louis's reign made many of Colbert's economic goals unattainable. By 1701 France was nearly bankrupt, and The Peace of Utrecht in 1713 marked the end of French expansionist policy.
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